Rotary gasolene-engine.



A. N. DITT-LINGER.

ROTARY GASOLENE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3, 1911.

1,913,139. Patented Jan.2,1912.

3 SHEETSSHBET 1.

M'- MM Z A. N. DITTLINGER. ROTARY GASO LENE ENGINE.

AYPLIOATIOH FILED APILS, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

3 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. N. DITTLINGER.

ROTARY GASOLENE ENGINE.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 3, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ALPHONS N. DITTLINGER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROTARY, GASOLENE-ENGINE/ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

Application filed April 3, 1911. Serial No. 618,597.

To all-whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Anrnons N. DITT- "LINGER, a citizen of. the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and; useful Improvements in Rotary Gasolene-Engine's, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. I

My invention relates to an improved r0 tary gasolene engine, and consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a true rotary gasolene engine which shall possess all the advantages of almost perfect balancing of the rotative parts; light weight; low cost of construction and operation; and which shall produce an almost continuous torque.

A further object is to produce a rotary gasolene-engine having a suitable casing or main-shaft within said casing, so as to'form concentric explosion and compression-chambers (or cylinders) in the space between the.

I interior of said casing and the periphery of said, hub; continuously-rotating pistons, mounted diametrically-opposite each other on the periphery of said hub, within said concentric chambers; intermittently rotating pistons, also mounted in said concentricchambers and arranged to follow the path of said first-mentioned pistons, so as to compress the charge in rear of-said continuouslyrotating pistons, then stop momentarily while the charge is fired and expanded, then move forward at double the speed of'said first-mentioned pistons to scavenge the said chambers, and catch up with said firstmentioned pistons and momentarily stop there while the said first-mentioned pistons draw in a charge; and suitable operative connections between the said main-shaft and said intermittently-moving pistons, for intermittently locking them to the said main shaft, and to said casing, intermittently releasing them, and intermittently moving them forward in accomplishing the necessary cycles.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side-elevation of a rotary engine embodying ferent position.

shell; a rotary hub mounted on a straight my invention, the section being taken on line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional endelevation of my engine, as shown in Fig. 1, withone of the end-covers or heads carrying the gears removed, and looking toward the right-hand in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a sectional detail of the intermittent-gears, the section being taken on line 3-3, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is end-view, looking at the parts at the left-hand end of Fig. 1, in a direction the reverse of that indicated by the arrow therein shown, and with the gears in a dif- Fig. 5 is a reduced sectional end-elevation, showing the relative position of the partswithin the concentric chamber which is that at the right-hand in Fig. 1, while the like parts of the companion (or left-hand) chamber are in the position in which they are shown in Fig.2. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4, with the parts thereof in a different position. Fig. 7 is'a view similar to Fig. 5, with the parts thereof in a different position, and Fig. 8 is a detail section, through a portion of the waterjacket shown at the left-hand end of Fig. 1, and the contiguous parts.

I preferably construct my engine with a water-jacket 1, surrounding the cylindricaL casing 2 and communicating with the waterjacket passages 3 of the heads 4, although any skilled workman may readily construct my engine with cooling-devices known as an air-cooled type, by omitting said waterjacket and applying the well-known cooling-fianges, or cooling-ribs.

My engine, on account of its relativelygreat power and light weight, is especially adapted for use in automobiles and flying machines; the casing 2 being prdvided with the usual lugs 5 for supporting the engine upon the'frame of the vehicle. (See Fig. 2.) Said casing is preferably in the form of a cylindrical-casting of any suitable di-' ameter and length for the purpose required of it; it being bored internally to receive the pistons 6 and 7 which rotate within it, and faced upon its ends to receive the said heads 4, which latter are secured in position by the usual studs and nuts 8. The said casing may be of suflicient length to accommodate within it the pistons of one, two, three or more complete and independent engines. In the present instance, I have shown the pistons of but two engines within said casing, the concentric cylinders 9 ring groove '14, in which is mounted a common circular packing ring 15. The outer periphery of said packing-ring 15 forms a tight joint with the adjacent edge of the annular partition 10, and in this way said ring performs the dual function of packing the joint between adjacent hub-ends, and also packing the joint between the said partition 10 and the peripheries of. the said hubs. I Mounted loosely upon the main-shaft 12, and having a recessed bearing 16 in the head 4.- (that is, the head of each engine) is a revolving disk 17. The outer ends of said hubs 11 form a tight joint with the inner face of said disks 17, there being common circularpacking-rings 18 recessed into the ends of said hubs for such purpose (see Fig. 1). Said packing-rings 18 are compelled to. rotate with the said-hubs, by reason of pins1 9j seated in the ends of the hubs and engaging corresponding apertures in the said. packing-rings. Springs 20 surround said pins 19 and urge the said pack ing rings into contactwith the face of the said revolving disks. Saidrevol'ving disks 17 are, as before stated, loose on the said main-shaft, and are only intermittently revolved. The means for intermittently re-' volving said disks will now be described: Fixed upon the exterior of said disks 17, but detachably secured thereto, by means of strong pins 21, are intermittent gear wheels 22, having diametrically opposite portions of their teeth supplanted by concave sections 23, which fitthe corresponding smooth segment 24 of a'mutilated gear 25, which latter ismounted upon a stud 26 projecting from the head 4 directly above the main shaft. Fixed upon the outer face of the mutilated gear 25 is a two-to-one pinion 27, which meshes with a corresponding gear-wheel 28, which is secured upon the main shaft 12 by means of a key 29, or other suitable securing device.

I will now describe the detailed constructionv of the rotating pistons and the intermittently-rotating pistons. I

The rotating pistons 6 are of course rectangular in" "shape to fit the rectangular cross-section of the said concentric cylinders 9, and said pistons are secured upon the said hub 11 diametrically opposite each other for each engine, suitable bolts 30 being used for securing said pistons to the said hubs. The pistons 6 are packed by means of common packing strips 31, mounted as usual in grooves in the outer faces of the said pistons, and held in position by means of common flat springs 32. The said intermittently-rotating pistons 7 are also provided with the usual packing strips 31 and springs 32, as just described, in connection with the said rotating pistons 6,

but the said intermittently-rotating pistons 7 are provided with rearwardly-extending guide-flanges 33, the outer one of which is provided with a slot 34, which receives a key35. The key 35 connects the intermittently-rotating piston 7 to the adjacent revolving disk 17-, and each of said disks is thus connected to two of said intermittently rotating pistons which are diametrically op-. posite. I

-Suit-able inlet-ports 36 are formed in the heads 2, and provided with inlet-pipes 37 for connection with the carbureter or carbureters (not shown). The exhaust-ports 38' are in the head at about in a plane with the main-shaft.

The main-shaft 12 may be fitted with the. usual fiy wheel and starting-crank, as the judgment of the skilledfworkman dictates.

e usual electrical sparking mechanism and spark-fines (not shown) aremade use of. The spark-plugs are applied to the spark-plugconnections 39, shown at the top o f the engine, so, that the charge compressed between the coacting pistons may be exploded.

The operation is as follows: The engine here shown will make "four explosions to each revolution of themain-s'haft, which is the same number of-explosions' per revolution as that made by. the common eight-' revolution of said shaft. By a mere dupli cation of parts, a larger number of'concentric cylinders may be placed -on. the same main-shaft, and thereby produce a greater number of explosions per revolution. As

indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the

rotating pistons 6 in the twin concentric cylinders 9' are fixed relatively at right angles to' eachother. The engine runs in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, which is toward theright hand. Itwill be observed that "my engine has no valves except" those formed bytherpistons themselves in covering and uncovering the inlet and exhaust .ports. The two pistons 6 and 7, shown at' the top of Fig. 2, "are in a position to have the compressed char e exploded in the space between them, wh' e the two pistons at the bottom of Fig. 2 are in a position to receive a fresh charge of gas in the space between themi' With. said pistons in the position just described, the t-wo intermittent y-rotating pistons 7 are locked to the casing for a moment during the explosion and expansionof the charges which have been compressed between them, such momentary locking of the said pistons 7 1001. cylinder' high compression" gasolene engine; infOther words, there will be two explosions in each of my concentric cylinders9 at each the face of said concave section 23. As the movement of the rotating pistons 6 takes.

place by reason of the explosion, the piston 6 at the'top of Fig. 2 will be driven forward until it reaches and passes over the exhaust-port 38, when the burned gases will thereupon be exhausted and the said piston will continue its movement until it assumes the position in which the piston 6 is shown at the bottom of Fig. 2. At this point the previously locked piston 7, shown at the top of Fig. 2, will be released by its gears and will be caused to follow the piston 6 which the described explosion previously moved,

thus scavenging the concentric cylinder by forcing the exhaust gases out of the exhaust port at double the speed of the said piston 6, until said piston 7 catches up with the said piston 6 and assumes the position in which the piston 7 is shown at the bottom. of Fig. 2, Where it will be again locked,

ready to receive a new charge of gas in the space between the pistons 6 and 7 at the bottom of F ig; 2, and so on. It will thus be seen that intermittently rotated pistons 7.

moveforward in a step-by-ste movement, to scavenge the cylinders 9 an to compress the charge in the rear of said rotating-pistons 6.

gine. When the explosion abovezdescribed has taken place in the cylinder which is at the left-hand of Fig. 1, a charge of gas has meanwhile been drawn in through the inletport of the cylinder at the right-hand of Fig. 1, to be compressed and fired and exhausted in regular cycle, and so on, the two concentric cylinders and their pistons pro- The compressed charges are all. fired by the spark-plug -at the top of the enducing an explosion'every quarter of a revolution of the main-shaft.

I claim:

1. A rotary gasolene engine, comprising a suitable casing having a cylindrical bore; a straight main-shaft within said casing; a hub mountedon said shaft within said cas- "ing to form a concentric chamber in the -space between the interior of said casing and the periphery of said hub; continuouslyrotatable-pistons fixed diametrically opposite each other on the periphery of said hub within said concentric chamber; intern1ittently-rotatable-pistons also mounted in said concentric chamber to follow the path of said first mentioned pistons and compress the charge in the rear thereof; means for intermittently moving said intermittentlyrotatable pistons; means for locking the latter while the charge is to be fired and expanded; means for moving forward at double the speed of the said first-mentioned pistons, the said intermittentlyrotatable pistons; and suitable inlet and exhaust connections forthe said concentric chamber.

2. The improved rotary gasolene engine,

comprising, a cylindrical casing, pistons 6 and 7 arranged to rotate within said casing, opposite heads for said casing, a straight main-shaft passingaxially through said casing, ahub fixed upon said main-shaft within said casing, a revoluble disk mounted loosely on the said main shaft at one end of said casing and having a recessed bearing 16 in one of said heads, means for intermittently revolving said revoluble disk, a key intermittently with said disk, the said pistons 6 being fixed upon the periphery of said hub to rotate contmuously therewith, and

suitable inlet and. exhaust connections for said cylindrical casing.

35onnectir1g the pistons 7 to the said revoluble disk, so that saidpistons will'move In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I ALPHONS 'N. DITTLINGER. Witnesses: v

E. L. WALLACE, JOHN C. HIGDON. 

